Non-woolen textile that simulates woolen homespun fabric



Sept. 28, 1965 J. MAX 3,208,483

NON-WOOLEN TEXTILE THAT SIMULATES WOOLEN HOMESPUN FABRIC Filed Sept. 9, 1963 LFI v INVENTOR' f" LILA J MAX BY 07mm@ ATTORNEY United States Patent O tains, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 307,531 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-416) This invention relates generally to fabrics, and has particular reference to non-woolen textiles.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a textile which is composed of non-woolen strands but which, nevertheless, simulates a woolen fabric of lhomespun character, this result being achieved by the employment, in a unique combination, of a special weave and a special imprint.

The invention is predicated upon the discovery that the imprinting of a pattern having a predetermined regularity, upon a loosely woven base whose strand spacing follows a predetermined different regularity which is out of register with the imprint, produces a haphazardly mutilated irregular imprint whose appearance, in combination with the weave characteristics of the base, closely resembles that of a woolen homespun material.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the loosely woven base has relatively heavy warp threads spaced apart by a distance 2x, and weft threads of substantially the same denier as the warp threads but spaced apart by a distance x. In alternating relation to the warp threads are leno-weave warps that are appreciably thinner. The imprint consists of parallel rows of spaced markings extending in the warp direction, with the rows spaced apart by a distance x-i-r where r is a fraction of x in which the denominator is not evenly divisible by the numerator.

Other dimensions and relationships contributing to the desired result will be described in greater detail hereinafter, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is an exaggerated view of a woven base suitable for the practice of the invention; and

FIGU'RE 2 is a representation, on the same scale, of an illustrative imprint to be applied to the textile of FIG- URE 1.

The weave illustratively depicted in FIGURE 1 comprises evenly spaced warp threads 12, intermediate leno weave warps 11, and evenly spaced weft threads 10. The warp and weft threads and 12 are substantially the same in thickness or denier, Whereas the leno weave threads 11 are appreciably thinner. None of the strands is woolen, and the threads 10 and 12 are composed of textured yarn.

There are about nine warp threads 12 per inch, and for comparative purposes the spacing between them has been designated 2x in FIGURE l. There are about eighteen weft threads 10 per inch, and the spacing between them is about half of the spacing between warps 12, viz., a distance x as indicated in FIGURE 1.

Alternate warps 11 are twisted in one direction, the remainder in the other. These warps lie about midway between the successive warp threads 12, and serve in known fashion to lend firmness and stability to the fabric. They also play an important part in affecting the overall appearance of the base fabric.

The imprint depicted in FIGURE 2 consists of substantially rectangular bars 13 arranged in parallel rows 14, evenly spaced. The markings in each row are evenly spaced apart, and are preferably staggered with respect to those in adjacent rows. When the imprint is applied, the rows 14 extend in the Warp direction. The bars 13 preferably have a length substantially equal to x-i-r.

3,208,483 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 lCe Thus the base fabric employed has a predetermined regularity of pattern, and so does the imprint. The desirable result attained by this invention stems from the combined use of patterns whose regularities have predetermined differences so that there is no registerability between them. For example, the bars 13 of the imprint have widths substantially eqn-al to the thickness of the warp threads 12, but there are about twelve rows 14 per inch so that the imprints do not fall regularly upon the warps 12; in fact, most of the warp threads 12 that receive any -imprint at all will bear a mark narrower in width than-*that of a bar 13. Similarly, in the warp direction, there are about six bars 13 per inch in each row, so that there is no readily apparent regular spacing between the imprints, if any, received by the weft threads 10.

Stated in terms of the spacings x and 2x shown in FIG- URE l, the rows 14 of the imprint pattern can be seen to be spaced apart by a distance x-i-r where r is a fraction of x in which the denominator is not evenly divisible by the numerator.

These differences in regularity, i.e., between the warp and the weft spacings x and 2x of the fabric, on the one hand, and the imprint spacings between and along the rows 14, on the other, and the circumstance that the strands 10 and 12 are of textured yarn, i.e., bers protrude from them in an irregular manner, create an overall visible imprint which is a haphazardly mutilated version of the imprint shown in FIGURE 2. This circumstance, coupled with the differences in appearance between the thinner and thicker warps 12 and 11, impart an appearance to the resultant fabric which is surprisingly like that of a woolen homespun article.

The imprinting of the base fabric can be carried out in any of numerous known ways, as by providing an appropriately configured printing roller. Any desired colors can be employed, and the base fabric itself can be woven of strands having selected colors or color combinations. The imprint can be applied to the base textile across its entire width, or it may be applied only in selected areas or bands. The resultant fabric can be employed for a large variety of purposes, eg., for draperies, upholstery, or garments, and has numerous advantages in that it Iesembles a homespun woolen but is actually composed of yarns having the desirable characteristics of non-woolen materials.

Variations in some of the details described and illustrated may obviously be made without deviation from the basic idea. For example, some imprints composed of areas or markings other than rectangular bars may be useful to produce the same over-all result; the markings in the adjacent rows need not in all cases be staggered from row to row; the spacings along the rows need not necessarily be constant nor the same as the spacings in other rows; and the base fabric may be modified in numerous respects without altering its essential dimensional nonregisterable relationship to the imprint employed. In general, it will be understood that the steps herein described and illustrated may be changed in some respects without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A non-woolen textile simulating a woolen fabric of homespun character, comprising a loosely woven base and an imprint thereon;

said base having warp threads spaced apart by a distance 2x, and weft threads spaced apart by a distance x;

said imprint consisting of parallel rows of spaced bars, said rows extending in the warp direction and being spaced apart by `a distance x-i-r where r is a fraction of x in which the denominator is not evenly divisible 3 by the numerator, said bars having lengths which are substantially equal to x-i-r, the bars of each row being staggered with respect to those in the adjacent rows. 2. A textile as defined in claim 1, said bars having widths substantially equal to the thickness of the warp threads.

3. A textile as defined in claim 1, wherein said weft and Warp threads are of textured yarn.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 628,867 7/99 Strang 139-416 1,817,716 8/31 Stam 139-419 X 1,990,421 2/35 Taylor 101-32 X 2,024,177 12/35 Mellor et al 101-32 2,075,480 3/37 Taylor 101-426 4 2,360,245 10/44 McFarlane 139-419 X 2,769,723 11/56 Bailly 161-97 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5 46,857 3/11 Austria.

132,183 7/02 Germany. 594,508 3/ 34 Germany.

748 1858 Great Britain. 3,131 1861 Great Britain. 10 2,362 1871 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Hoye, I.: Staple Cotton Fabrics, McGraw-Hill Book 15 Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., 1942, p. 66 relied on.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A NON-WOOLEN TEXTILE SIMULATING A WOOLEN FABRIC OF HOMESPUN CHARACTER, COMPRISING A LOOSELY WOVEN BASE AND AN IMPRINT THEREON; SAID BASE HAVING WARP THREATDS SPACED APRT BY A DISTANCE 2X, AND WEFT THREADS SPACED APRT BY A DISTANCE X; SAID IMPRINT CONSISTING OF PARALLEL ROWS OF SPACED BARS, SAID ROWS EXTENDING IN THE WARP DIRECTION AND BEING SPACED APART BY A DISTANCE X+R WHERE R IS A FRCTION OF X IN WHICH THE DE%NOMINATOR IS NOT EVENLY DIVISIBLE BY A NUMERATOR, SAID BARS HAVING LENGTHS WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO X+R, THE BARS OF EACH ROW BEING STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO THOSE IN THE ADJACENT ROWS. 